Pelargonium plant named ‘PEQZ0087’

ABSTRACT

A new  Pelargonium  plant named ‘PEQZ0087’ particularly distinguished by the white inflorescences held above the green foliage on a plant that has good vigour and branching and is very free flowering.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Pelargonium interspecific.

Varietal denomination: ‘PEQZ0087’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Pelargonium, botanically known as Pelargonium interspecific, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘PEQZ0087’.

‘PEQZ0087’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar ‘PEQZ0087’ has white inflorescences held above the medium-green foliage, very heat and drought tolerant with continuous color through the most extreme summer heat, and exceptional edema tolerance on a vigorous plant.

‘PEQZ0087’ originates from a cross in a controlled breeding program performed from October to December 2016, in a greenhouse in Guatemala. The female parent was ‘PEQZ0029’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,051, with white flowers on a smaller, flatter growing plant than ‘PEQZ0087’.

The male parent of ‘PEQZ0087’ was an unpatented, proprietary plant of P. interspecific parentage, identified as ‘BC1153-6’ with white florets and a less vigorous plant than ‘PEQZ0087’. The resultant seed of the cross was sown in May 2017.

‘PEQZ0087’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in September 2017 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘PEQZ0087’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in the November 2017 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in January 2018 in Gilroy, Calif., and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘PEQZ0087’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘PEQZ0087’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar has not yet been applied for. ‘PEQZ0087’ has not been made publicly available prior to the effective filing date of this application, notwithstanding any disclosure that may have been made less than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application by the inventor or another who obtained ‘PEQZ0087’ directly from the inventor.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes this Pelargonium as a new and distinct variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliage characteristics of ‘PEQZ0087’ with the colors being as true as possible with an illustration of this type. The photographic drawings show in FIG. 1, 3 flowering plants of the new variety and in FIG. 2, a close-up of an inflorescence.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in Gilroy, Calif. in late May 2021 under natural light. These plants were approximately 18 weeks old and were grown in a 1 gallon containers, in a greenhouse trial. The plants shown in the photographs were taken in May 2021.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘PEQZ0087’ AND A MOST SIMILAR VARIETY ‘PEQZ0080’, U.S. Application ‘PEQZ0087’ Number 16/921,050 Size of leaves: Larger Smaller Flower form: Full double Semi-double Plant growth: Vigorous Less vigorous

-   Plant:     -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Upright, vigorous, outwardly             spreading habit, heat and drought tolerant with continuous             color through the most extreme summer heat, edema tolerance,             and well-branched plant.         -   Plant height.—25-29 cm.         -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—32-36 cm.         -   Plant width.—55 cm. -   Roots:     -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—15-18 days at about 22             degrees C.         -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—21-23 days at 22             degrees C.         -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.         -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter. -   Foliage:     -   -   Immature leaf, color upper surface.—Closest to RHS 143A.         -   Immature leaf, lower surface.—Closest to RHS 143C.         -   Mature leaf, color upper surface.—Closest to RHS 137B.         -   Mature leaf, color lower surface.—Closest to RHS 137B.         -   Length.—5-6 cm.         -   Width.—8-10 cm.         -   Shape.—Cordate.         -   Base shape.—Cordate.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Slightly dentate.         -   Texture upper side.—Hirsute.         -   Texture lower side.—Hirsute.         -   Leaf zonation color.—None.         -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 137B.         -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 137C.         -   Pattern of veining.—Palmate.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 146C.         -   Petiole length.—9-12 cm.         -   Diameter of petiole.—0.2 cm.         -   Texture.—Pilose, hirsute, glandular hairs. -   Stem:     -   -   Quantity of branches.—8-10.         -   Color of stem.—RHS 144B.         -   Length of stem.—15-18 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.5-0.9 cm.         -   Length of internodes.—3.0-4.5 cm.         -   Texture.—Sparsely hirsute, pilose, glandular hairs. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 144A.         -   Length of peduncle.—15-18 cm.         -   Peduncle diameter.—0.3-0.35 cm.         -   Texture.—Hirsute, glandular hairs. -   Pedicel:     -   -   Color of pedicel.—RHS 144B-C.         -   Length of pedicel.—2.5-2.7 cm.         -   Diameter of pedicel.—0.15-0.2 cm.         -   Texture.—Sparsely pilose, glandular hairs. -   Bud (just before opening):     -   -   Color.—RHS NN155B.         -   Length.—1.8 cm.         -   Width.—0.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Umbel; semi-spherical or nearly semi-spherical.         -   Lastingness of individual flowers.—7-9 days at 18° C.             temperature.         -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—10.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Umbel diameter.—9-12 cm.         -   Umbel depth.—6-7 cm. -   Corolla:     -   -   Form.—Double.         -   Number of petals.—9-11.         -   Diameter of flower.—4.0-4.2.         -   Depth of flower.—1.5 cm.         -   Color upper petals, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 155D.         -   Color upper petals, lower surface.—Closest to RHS 155D.         -   Length of upper petals.—3.1 cm.         -   Width of upper petals.—2.5-2.7 cm.         -   Color lower petals, upper surface.—RHS NN155C.         -   Color lower petals, lower surface.—RHS NN155C.         -   Length of lower petals.—1.9 cm.         -   Width of lower petals.—2.0 cm.         -   Petal shape.—Obovate to spathulate.         -   Apex shape.—Rounded.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Petal texture.—Papillose on both surfaces. -   Calyx:     -   -   Number of sepals.—5.         -   Color of sepals.—RHS 144B.         -   Length of sepals.—1.2 cm.         -   Width of sepals.—0.2-0.4 cm.         -   Sepal shape.—Lanceolate to linear.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Margins.—Mostly fused.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous.         -   Lower surface.—Glandular hairs, hirsute. -   Reproductive organs: -   Gynoecium:     -   -   Pistil.—1.         -   Length.—1.1 cm.         -   Style color.—Closest to RHS 160C.         -   Style length.—0.5 cm.         -   Stigma color.—Closest to RHS 160C.         -   Ovary color.—RHS 144A.         -   Ovary length.—0.5 cm.         -   Ovary diameter.—0.2 cm. -   Androecium:     -   -   Number of stamens.—6-8.         -   Color of filaments.—RHS 155D.         -   Length filaments.—0.7 cm.         -   Anther color.—Closest to RHS 29B.         -   Length of anthers.—0.2 cm.         -   Color of pollen.—RHS 31A.         -   Pollen amount.—Normal.         -   Fertility/seed set.—Has not been determined to date.         -   Disease/pest resistance.—Has not been determined to date. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Pelargonium plant named ‘PEQZ0087’ substantially as illustrated and described herein. 